


Love Charm

by Galaxias_Group



Series: Nightlong Dreamers [3]
Category: Nightlong Dreamers, Original Work
Genre: Arguments, Gifts, Gwyn has a single soft spot, Mikoto is just trying to do her job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27458614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galaxias_Group/pseuds/Galaxias_Group
Summary: “Look here kid, love charms aren’t real and I won’t have you barging in here insulting my place for not meeting some imaginary magical standard that doesn’t even exist.”
Series: Nightlong Dreamers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145366
Kudos: 2





	Love Charm

**Love Charm  
** | noun. **  
** A charm by which love was supposed to be excited; a philter.

* * *

Mikoto hadn’t paid much attention to the girl when she entered, Gwyn was at the counter and was surely capable of handling a single customer in her  _ own _ shop. So instead of greeting the brown haired girl, Mikoto continued sorting inventory in the comfy corner she’d proclaimed as her own.

It was easy to tune out the chatter between them as she mindlessly organised the small charms into their appropriate boxes, she enjoyed the cold press of their shapes against her fingers: dragonflies, leaves, human hearts, lotus flowers - they all made the same light clinking sound when they landed in their designated home. These were her favourite jobs and the days she got to do them were usually the best.

“What kind of witchery is this that you don’t even know how to make a love charm?”

Today would not be one of the good days.

Mikoto looked up from her work to the sight of Gwyn pulling her pipe out from under the counter, it was quickly lit with nimble fingers and she took a long, calming drag. Then in a childish and petty act of spite, Gwyn blew a goodly sized puff of blue smoke into the girl’s face.

“Look here kid, love charms aren’t real and I won’t have you barging in here insulting my place for not meeting some imaginary magical standard that doesn’t even exist.”

“And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It  _ means _ you don’t know what you’re talking about, and frankly I don’t have the time nor the energy to teach every child that walks in here thinking they know shit that they don’t,” the customer tried to argue back but Gwyn interrupted her, “So either buy something that exists, or get out of my store.”

Mikoto sighed, checking how many charms she had left to sort. There were only a couple, so she finished them quickly before proceeding to the counter and making her presence known. Her regular flat face was in place, but Gwyn knew her well enough to know she was toeing some sort of line at the moment.

“Ah Miko Chan, did you finish already?” Instead of answering, Mikoto began pushing her employer out from behind the counter and towards the front door. “Miko Chan?”   
  
“Out.”

“But Miko-”

“Smoking,” Gwyn’s eyes snapped to the pipe in her hand before her expression softened into understanding.

“Yea, yea, smoking outside, I hear ya.” Once the door closed and her boss had been successfully escorted from the premises, Mikoto turned around to greet the customer.

“Hello Jae-Hwa. I would ask what brought you here, but I did just overhear most of the conversation,” she made her way back behind the counter.

“I’d heard rumours you worked at a weird place, but I wasn’t expecting a witchery. And a fraud of one at that,” Jae-Hwa huffed a disappointed sigh, “Surely you’ve at least heard of a love charm before? I was talking to a pair of seniors that became a couple last year and one of them admitted to using a charm. Of course they’d an argument over this, but they removed the charm awhile ago and are still going strong so it must have worked.”

“I hate to admit it, but Gwyn’s right. Love charms aren’t a thing, at least not in the way you think they are? Charms don’t have a lot of power, making someone’s feelings  _ change _ is fantasy talk restricted to novels and  _ frauds _ , as you so eloquently put it.”

“Oh _Stars_ Mikoto, please tell tell me you don’t believe that woman’s bullshit?”

“It’s not bullshit, it’s been proven. I’m more surprised you didn’t know that. Charms are a science, much like chemistry. What people believe a love charm to be is more along the lines of something that makes the holder aware of heir own feelings. There’s so much controversy around them because of misinformation being spread. Either they’re given to someone who already has feelings but weren’t invested in acting on them; in which case the charm is supposedly successful, or it’s for someone who has no particular or even negative feelings towards the target and it fails or backfires and the charm gets called a fraud.”

Mikoto doesn’t think she’s ever spoken this much to Jae-Hwa despite being in the same homeroom class. She’s receptive, and Mikoto allows the content of ranting about something she loves to seep into her bones.

“Why the hell are they called love charms then?”

“They sell better that way. The feeling charm has much less of a ring to it,” Mikoto shrugged, she never thought the charm had much point in even existing, personally, but other witcheries made money toting them as something they weren’t and so they stayed. “I think humans would keep asking for a love charm regardless though.” 

Jae-Hwa pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yea, you’re probably right there.”

“Can I help you find anything else for Ava’s birthday?” Jae-Hwa’s eyes snapped to meet Mikoto’s.

“How’d you know?” 

Mikoto’s eyes were sparkling with mirth that only her friends would notice. “Your whole class has been watching you two dance around each other for nearly 3 years now. If you’re not a couple by the end of the month I’ll owe Faith a hundred bucks you know?” 

She looked horrified, “is it really that obvious?”

“Yea.”

“Fuck.” Mikoto gave a dry chuckle, making Jae-Hwa jump. “Holy shit, you can laugh with a flat face?”

“I do everything with my face like this, thank you very much. Now, we have a present to pick out. I’d appreciate it if you bought something custom and more on the expensive side so I can earn my bonus this month.”

“You think I’m just made of money? Whatever, I might be able to splurge this time. What did you have in mind?”

* * *

Ava unwrapped the small box slowly. She recognised the packaging from Mikoto’s workplace, but the sender was none other than Jae-Hwa. The mysterious birthday gift had been delivered to her locker and Ava was insatiably curious as to what the other girl could have gotten her. Especially since she’d spent a good portion of their highschool life together avoiding the girl entirely. Not on purpose or anything.

Inside she found she had to dig through tissue paper before her fingers felt along the cool edges of the gift. If she had to guess, it’d be a broach? No, it was smaller than you’d usually have a broach. Chains, there were definitely a few tiny chains attached. Maybe it was an earring then? Finally hitting the end of her patience with the guessing game Ava pulled it out, only to be stunned by what she saw.

Delicate silver chains that would loop the entirety of her ear, bridging together several gems that sparkled in an array of colours when the lights hit them just right. It took her a moment but she recognised their pattern; it was the Loved One constellation. 

Jaw-Hwa had sent a courting gift for her birthday.

**Author's Note:**

> Author: alys  
> Beta reading by hark, thank you as always!


End file.
